Buckle up, you guys, because this review is about to get deep. Why? This Savage Song is deep. Like. THIS BOOK. Oh wow, seriously, it is gorgeous. I'veBuckle up, you guys, because this review is about to get deep. Why? This Savage Song is deep. Like. THIS BOOK. Oh wow, seriously, it is gorgeous. I've loved Victoria Schwab for a while, liked her for even longer, and I'm so happy to be a part of pushing her books on everyone else, because they are just so beautiful.

Okay, sooooo, I was really excited for this one. I really tried to like it and to care for the characters and to get interested in the story. I even tOkay, sooooo, I was really excited for this one. I really tried to like it and to care for the characters and to get interested in the story. I even took someone's advice and kept going when I was originally going to DNF.

It just never picked up for me.

For one, the characters...they were an interesting mix for me. I liked reading about them, but there was this side of me that just didn't care if they lived or died. That tends to be the thing that makes me DNF books most.

Uuuuugh I am so sad to DNF this one. It was on my top-most-excited-for list. It was just.....disappointing. Not necessarily a bad book, but it had weiUuuuugh I am so sad to DNF this one. It was on my top-most-excited-for list. It was just.....disappointing. Not necessarily a bad book, but it had weird pacing and most of the elements I didn't care for....more

In my mind there are different levels of a good book: Kind of good, really good, solid good, really really really really really really reaaaaaaaaaalllIn my mind there are different levels of a good book: Kind of good, really good, solid good, really really really really really really reaaaaaaaaaalllllyyyyy good, and great. The fourth option is the hardest because it's literally one teeny-tiny, eeeeeeensey-weensey step below great... Like, not quite great.

That was this book for me.

Let me start out by saying that I really did enjoy myself. I read it quickly and adored the writing and the characters. I 100% recommend it to someone wanting a fairly light (actually, surprisingly light) contemporary with a very slow-burn romance and lots of laughter.

This book ended up being more of a "fun" read, than an OMIGOSH THIS BOOK AND THE FEELS read. It was well-written, but personally I didn't feel like itThis book ended up being more of a "fun" read, than an OMIGOSH THIS BOOK AND THE FEELS read. It was well-written, but personally I didn't feel like it was well-told. There was SO much potential and then the end just lagged for me. It seemed really quick and brushed. I kept going "Huh?" And had to read back a few pages several times. But even though it wasn't a favorite, I definitely recommend it! It was clean and fun and enjoyable. :)...more

Well...at least I tried. I'm not a zombie fan sooooo. Yeah. But it was decently written and I liked the characters, so I might pick it up again later.Well...at least I tried. I'm not a zombie fan sooooo. Yeah. But it was decently written and I liked the characters, so I might pick it up again later. OH! And I don't like the seance stuff. Meh....more

I loved Maggie the whole time. Her voice was so distinct and adorable and easy to relate to. She was awkward and normal and I just adored that about hI loved Maggie the whole time. Her voice was so distinct and adorable and easy to relate to. She was awkward and normal and I just adored that about her. She was also smart....and smart girls in fiction are my kind of girls!

Sooo I had some story-telling issues with this one...but mainly I've just come to the realization that it's not my cup of tea. Usually it is, but thisSooo I had some story-telling issues with this one...but mainly I've just come to the realization that it's not my cup of tea. Usually it is, but this is a rare case. Not workin' for me. By the time O turned to "Part 2", I didn't actually care about anything going on. I'm so bummed!...more

SUMMARY -Mackenzie Bishop has a secret. She has inherited this secret from her grandfather: she is a keeper, one who returns the waking and escaped Histories, the dead, to the Archive. Her job is fragile, virtually unknown by the outside world, and she must protect this secret with her life. But with a move to an old hotel-turned-apartment building and memories of her dead brother surfacing painfully, her secret is harder to keep. And what about the secrets within the Archive, and the boy who visits the Coronado often? When she can't get closer to the truth or the people around her, where will Mackenzie stand?

MY THOUGHTS -This was a very interesting read. Not the greatest, but not bad at all. I was intrigued for the most part, definitely interested in what came next. But there were things I didn't like...

For one, this often felt like "just another dystopian". Personally, I'm getting sick of that feeling. Make it great and original, or not at all. You catch my drift? So yeah. On top of that, the story had no actual plot for the first half. It didn't even feel like a setup, just wandering around. Interesting but aimless. And the last half was good, but I could name a few books it felt like a copy of.

I liked the characters...mostly. Wes was awesome the last half, and Owen and Regina struck me was extremely fascinating. Patrick...he was AWESOME. Mackenzie herself was neat, but a bit unrelateable. But she definitely brought a feel to the story that I liked.

Also, the fight scenes seemed a bit short...easy... Did anyone else who has read this feel this way? Besides that, I did enjoy Victoria Schwab's writing!

So overall, I recommend The Archive, but I just warn: it might not be all that you imagined.

For the Parents -Some brief strong language (GD one time); some violence, not too gory. Some people have bouts of insanity that could be creepy, but I wasn't too bothered. A couple passionate (but not explicit) kisses. Recommended 14+

I really liked a lot of things about this book.....but a lot of the things I liked came crashing down in the end - what felt like a really jumbled andI really liked a lot of things about this book.....but a lot of the things I liked came crashing down in the end - what felt like a really jumbled and confused attempt at intensity. I didn't feel it at all. It made me sad, because I did have hopes I'd really like it....more

SUMMARY -Verity is not her real name. They don't know her real name, who she's been and what she's done. But they will. Soon, they will, because she will tell them. But as her captors, torturers, get her to tell more and more of her story, and Verity wonders what happened to Kittyhawk when they were separated, the truth is slowly revealed. Verity and Kittyhawk will never be the same.

MY THOUGHTS -I adore this book. And while that phrase seems a bit too...tame for the grittiness that is Code Name Verity, I seriously love it. I'll be sure to buy it someday soon, and read it again, because I definitely want this on my shelf. Over the last months since I read it, it has come back to me again and again. I think now I appreciate it even more than when I first read it. It has stuck with me, and I've decided - it's one I will buy for my children. I will recommend it to everyone. It's just one of those books. Everyone needs to read it.

Everyone. This is not something that I take lightly. I have never recommended a book to just "everyone" before.

Granted, the story started out slow. But not slow in a way that bored me. Instead, it fascinated me. The story of Verity and her best friend, who they met, how close they became, the fears they expressed to each other... If I hadn't had this kind of intro to who they were together, I wouldn't have understood them when they were separated.

Elizabeth Wein's writing is very beautiful. Simple, great for this type of book. And still, she brought across a great power through her writing. If you know to start out your story with "I AM A COWARD" then you've got something good going for you. There are SO MANY quotes from this book that I remember that move me...one in particular. If you've read the book, you know exactly which one I'm talking about.

CHARACTER NOTES -Verity is definitely my favorite. I loved absolutely everything about her: her weaknesses, her strength, her guilt and sorrow and pain and love and the small joys she spoke of in her report. She's complex and just...stunning. Yes that's exactly the word for her: stunning. Her fears, how they changed over the course of the book, made her more real to me than ever. And how smart she was! So...elegant.

Kittyhawk was a neat character as well. It's her side of the story that's hardest to read about, and she makes the perfect impression for it. Her bravery, selflessness, and unconditional love (yes - unconditional) blew me away.At first I was a little bummed when the story switched to Kittyhawk halfway through. I was invested in Verity's brilliance, and I didn't want to leave. But I'm so glad it switched. I can't say anymore than that. But I am SO. GLAD.

There's a lovely cast of side characters (or, not so lovely, if you please). Von Leowe and James, in particular, are an excellent addition to this story.

STORY NOTES -"It's like being in love, discovering your best friend." (Can't remember the page number!)

There are few things in life greater than having a best friend. I can say that with full confidence, especially since my best friend was gone in Panama for a month during the summer. (Side note: If your best friend is leaving town for a bit, choose another book to read while he/she is gone... If you read this, anxiety will ensue.)Reading a story about best friends, with no romance or stupid drama getting int he way, is just...amazing. Touching. Sincere. I loved every single minute of it, even when the story was slower going. Because it did have its slow moments. Again, that's not to say it was boring - not at all! The pace in the lingering kind, the one you only want to read for 15-30 minutes a day because you want it to last. It's so beautiful.

I didn't really appreciate all the talk about planes because it was written like the reader should already know all this stuff. It makes sense, seeing as Verity and Kittyhawk were pilots and/or worked with planes, but it made my head spin a bit, trying to keep up.

Now, let me tell you - you have to keep reading!!! Even if you have no idea where it's taking you - just go with it! Everything ties together. Everything. It will blow your mind and shatter your heart into a gazillion tiny little pieces. And then you'll realize you're still living, breathing, feeling, and that you just read something life changing.

(I promise, I'm not exaggerating!)

SUMMING IT UP -River-crying material. Yup - that is this book. I have cried - like full-on tears - TWICE while writing this review, over two days. I hope everyone takes a break from other genres to read this incredible historical fiction worthy of every shelf!LOVE.

I'm coming to learn something about myself and reading this year.It's that if a book doesn't make me feel something, whether negative or positive, I'mI'm coming to learn something about myself and reading this year.It's that if a book doesn't make me feel something, whether negative or positive, I'm most likely to put it down.

Let's be upfront: This book is not bad. Not that I'm aware of. Hocking has a nice writing style and okay characters. I wasn't too keen on the story, which felt choppy to me, but it wasn't all like that. I assumed it would get better, smoother.

Did anyone doubt I would love this book? I sure didn't. It's *Maggie*. Maggie and mythology. There is no question. I want to cradle this book forever.Did anyone doubt I would love this book? I sure didn't. It's *Maggie*. Maggie and mythology. There is no question. I want to cradle this book forever. I also want to put it with mu favorites. Excuse me while I go process that gorgeous last page. And, okay, all the rest of it.Goodbye....more

SUMMARY -Eliza's father, a man of humble means, has just passed away, leaving Eliza with no house or money, just the clothes on her back and the housemaid. In an effort to find work, she is reunited with the man she once loved as a girl, and who she still loves as a woman. When she offers to go with him to America as his bride, he refuses... But soon changes his mind for a daring journey in the night. Can they brave through the storms of life in a new country where Eliza must face trial after trial?

MY THOUGHTS -"This is great, this is great, this is...ahhhh... Nevermind." I'm SO bummed out about this book! It just...flopped. It had loads of potential but did not live up to any sort of goodness.

CHARACTER NOTES -Oh, Eliza. Why? WHY?! I just don't understand. I really liked you...and now I just don't know what to think. Eliza is one of those characters who just...deteriorated. At least for me. I just couldn't respect any of the decisions she made after she heard the Terrible Awful News. Not even just her lack of judgement - but that lie she told to Hayward about it? GOLLY, so bad. I felt like her relationship with God didn't really go anywhere either. She went through so much hardship but there were no profound faith revelations or anything.

And Hayward... Holy SMOKES - if I ever met that man, I would need someone to restrain me and remind me that murder will land me in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Fiona and the rest were okay, I guess. They served their purposes but were not well-developed.

STORY NOTES -What. The. Heck. HAAAAPPPPEEEENNNNEEED?! Okay, so I'm all for sad books. A few (The Idiot, Before I Fall, Mockingjay) are my all-time favorites and I read and read and read and cry and cry and cry.

But cruel? Like hardcore cruel, backstabbing, with what did NOT feel like a redemptive ending? Ummm, not okay with me. Hayward was a full-on cruel, cold-hearted jerk who did horrible things.

I honestly don't remember much else of the story, except Eliza's fall into depression so deep she totally went out of character, and the end where all I could think was, "Why? This is not redemptive." It does not have to be happy - just...redeeming. It was so hard. And sad. And CRUEL. And stupid and unrealistic, if I may say so myself.

SUMMING IT UP -The word I've been saying over and over again. Cruel. I feel bad giving this kind of review but this book really got to me - in a bad way -ad on vacation no less!

For the Parents -A few adult situations referenced to. No details. Some minor curse words. Recommended 14+. Actually, not recommended at all, but...if you must...

Good golly - how does this woman do it?!?! That was just absolutely one of the best books ever, hands down! The most gritty and realistic dystopian i'Good golly - how does this woman do it?!?! That was just absolutely one of the best books ever, hands down! The most gritty and realistic dystopian i've ever read. Ahhhh!!...more

I do not normally condone temper tantrums for anyone over the age of 0, but this book deserves a nice, giant, WHAT-WERE-YOU-THINKING-TO-END-IT-THAT-WAI do not normally condone temper tantrums for anyone over the age of 0, but this book deserves a nice, giant, WHAT-WERE-YOU-THINKING-TO-END-IT-THAT-WAY temper tantrum. I'm talking throwing the book (without damaging it) or using it as a club to bash things with (again, no damaging). (Btw, I did these things.)Brodi Ashton has merged fairy tales with classic mythology and her own modern twist. Plus a SHOOT-ME-IN-THE-FACE cliff hanger. And a twist that will have you groveling in the dirt.More respectful review to come. Very soon....more

SUMMARY -Kira Walker, a scientist in the Maternity Ward, has seen the saddest side of humanity, the biggest issue that brings society down, that threatens to destroy the human race altogether. She has seen mothers give birth to babies, babies who are instantly taken by the virus, RM. She has seen the mothers, screaming for their babies as the bodies are taken away. For fourteen years, no baby has left the hospital alive.

The Partials did this; they made war on the humans and killed most of the race. What is left lives on an island off mainland New York. The Partials may be the greatest enemy, but Kira believes they may have the key to curing RM, the virus they originally brought upon society. And when Kira has the once in a lifetime opportunity to capture a live Partial for testing, she takes it, risking life, love and happiness for the good of all mankind.

MY THOUGHTS -My feelings toward this book could be described as average... I liked it a lot, but there were some of things things...you know the ones...that tend to lead to a lower rating. The writing was good, solid, but not my favorite. I liked the science parts but felt they got too wordy and sometimes confusing (and then I'd move on and realize I didn't even need all that information anyway). Kira is a strong MC who I liked, but couldn't fully relate to or care about. See what I mean?

CHARACTER NOTES -Like I just said, Kira was totally strong. She stood her ground and made a difference; she pushed through and conquered. But for some reason, I didn't care like I wanted to, like I thought I would. I've tried to pinpoint why, but I can't, so I just have to accept that I just didn't, because. Frustrating, right?

As for side characters, they were all good to read about, even if they lacked depth or development. My two favorites, and probably the most developed of all the characters, are Marcus and Samm. They really jumped off the page and into reality: Marcus because of his humor and life, and Samm because of the seriousness of his situation and how he handled it.

STORY NOTES -For some reason, this book took me nearly two weeks to read. That's extremely odd to me; it never takes me that long. I can't blame it all on the story - I was abnormally busy one of those two weeks - but I can say that when I did have time to read I always wanted to read something else. Partials wasn't exactly a boring book, per say, but it didn't draw me in completely like I'd been hoping. I enjoyed it when I read it but never felt completely "there" - except for when I was reading about Marcus or Samm.

The story was fairly consistent throughout - until the end. Like, the last chapter. The last chapter was such a dramatic change from the one before it. I felt there should have been a bit more to make that transition. It felt like the author was trying to hurry up.

Despite that, I really did enjoy this story. I'm interested in finding answers...there are a lot of unanswered questions and a ton of unfinished business. I look forward to Fragments.

SUMMING IT UP -Interesting! It doesn't shout "AMAZING" or WOW me in shock with awesomess, but I know plenty of readers who have loved this book. (Check out this review if you want to see what I mean: the drifting bookworm.) So while it wasn't the best book for me, and I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, I'd say give it a shot if you're interested!

For the Parents -A few crude or sexual comments. Reference to one of Kira's friends sleeping with a Senator to get pregnant. A few bloody fight scenes. Recommended 14+

*This ARC copy was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review. I was in no way compensated; all thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.*...more

There are some maaaajor spoilers in this review, so if you don't want the first book ruined for you, I suggest you skip reading this! Howevvver...I HIGHLY recommend this series, so if you're interested, check out my review of the first book, This Dark Endeavor.

SUMMARY -Victor has made a promise - an oath. After the death of the one closest to him, Victor has promised to bring him back from the dead. But since they burned the Frankenstein library, how will he discover the way? When he sees the unburnt binding of a book among the ashes, he snatches it and gives rein to curiosity. What he and his friends, Elizabeth and Henry, discover through the book, the thing they can do in the spirit world, suck them into a dangerous game. What all can they accomplish with this new-found power? How can they raise Konrad from the dead...and at what cost?

MY THOUGHTS -Oh holy gracious, I'm just so happy. Not that I was doubting Oppel's genius or anything...I was just a bit nervous, because I'd hyped myself up about this book and was worried if wouldn't live up to my expectations. But heck, why did I ever worry my little head over it? It was perfect, from beginning to end. The only thing stopping me from awarding this series "forever favorite" is that I haven't read what comes next, and that will be the deciding factor.

CHARACTER NOTES -I know I'll need to do a lot of explaining for this statement, whether you've read the book or not: I am madly in love with Victor. Goodness, he's just so...amazing. Obsessive, unrelenting, disobedient, and proud, yes... But every time he does something, foolish or no, I fall a little more in love. I believe he's one of the only "bad boy" types I've ever loved like this. The passionate way he sees things, especially his love for Elizabeth, makes me blush and read faster for more. And you know what? I think that's just it - his passion. I love him for it, so so much.

Now, Elizabeth. She's amazing, too, in a very level-headed, sweet-tempered way. She is very maternal, but also very wild, like an animal, and only Victor really sees that side of her. I think she and Konrad had a comfortable love, but she and Victor could have something very passionate, a love like fire, and I'm rooting for that without a doubt.

Henry seemed to grow so much this time around. He became so manly and attractive. The story really compared Henry's/Victor's strengths and showed how selfish Victor can be sometimes. Henry was almost like an angel, pure and strong. I loved him all the more this time!

And the pit-god... Oh, I shudder at that name! What a formidable, unbeatable enemy!

STORY NOTES -I think Oppel's trademark is that he makes everything that could possibly go wrong happen, one thing after another, slamming the heroes in the face until it seems like they won't be able to win after all... And that's also his brilliancy. It's rare that a story sucks me in so much that by the end I can no longer sense things going on around me, that my heart is beating wildly, my stomach is churning with worry, and htat my hands shake with anticipation as I turn the pages. And this book - it did exactly that.

From beginning to end I couldn't stop. I read it all in 2 sittings, only putting it down 'cause I had to, only picking it up once I knew I could just sit and finish it all.

This is a dark, sad, humorous, startling, gripping, and completely lovely. It holds twists I couldn't foresee, and writing that sweeps you up in TWO different tenses. Victor's voice and Oppel's style, while both unmistakable, mesh perfectly.

It's also a story that sticks with you. I know that in my review of This Dark Endeavor I said the story wasn't very memorable, but I take that back. I remembered everything about Book 1, and now Such Wicked Intent sticks out to me even more.

Also, as Christian, I found the religious discussions and aspects of the story VERY fascinating. They weren't over the top or taking over the whole story, but OMG (excuse my lack of proper grammar) but that was a brilliant touch. You have the dynamics of an athiest, a Catholic, and a Protestant. So, soooo fascinating!!

For the Parents -A kiss or two (Victor thinks about one of them afterward and about the intimacy between he and Elizabeth, but not in explicit terms). Maybe a curse word or two. Some intense action but not really any violence. Some spooky scenes (looooved those!). Overall, recommended 14+.